Waste Activity 4 – Rubbish – YOU are the difference! Page 1 of 25 NEWRRG - 2015

Rubbish – YOU are the difference!

Overview: This unit has been designed to make students more aware of the recycling practices offered within their own local community and what happens to the materials they do recycle. The unit is designed to help them:

understand why we have these practices by examining what used to happen in the past

develop an appreciation for how they sort their own rubbish and what happens to it

think about where their waste will go in the future SUITABLE FOR: Years 5 – 8

Did You Know?

Australians are the second highest producers of waste, per person, in the world (690 Kg per person per year sent to landfill). (That is as much as the largest camel in the world!)

The average Victorian household throws away approximately $2000 worth of food each year

Between 2001 and 2007, the volume of waste deposited to landfill increased by 12%. In 2001, over 19.0 million tonnes of waste were disposed to landfill, and by 2007 this grew to more than 21.3 million tonnes

In Australia during 2007-08, over 14 million televisions, computers and computer products were disposed to landfill (Hyder Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers 2009).

A study of commercial and industrial waste coming in to Albury Waste Management Centre in 2005 found that more than a third of the waste sent to the landfill was recyclable material including paper, cardboard, metal, plastics, timber and glass. (Halve Waste - http://halvewaste.com.au/commercial/ )

There are more than 500,000 tracked pieces of debris, or space junk, orbiting around the earth

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Table of Contents:

Activity Page Overview 1

Did you Know? 1

Activity One: Clarifying Understanding 3

Activity Two: In the Past 4

Activity Three: Present Day Resource Recovery Practices in your local area 6

Activity Four: Rescuing Rubbish 7

Activity Five: Working towards creating a better world 9

Worksheet 1: Waste Glossary 10

Worksheet 2: T-Chart – The pros and cons of rubbish tips 11

Worksheet 3: Where does your rubbish go to? 12

Worksheet 4: Altering the pathway of waste 13

Worksheet 5: Project Planner 16

Fact Sheet 1: How long does it take to decompose? 17

Fact Sheet 2: Recycling Computer Components 18

Image 1: The Past for us is present for some 21

Image 2: The Past for us is present for some 22

Useful Links 23

AusVELS Alignment 24

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Activity One: Clarifying Understanding Requirements:

Worksheet 1 - Waste Glossary – (Page 10)

STEPS

1. As an introduction to this unit and to clarify understanding of terminology, use the glossary cards in worksheet one to match the waste words with their meanings. This can be done by printing and laminating the cards, then cutting them up and shuffling them. Students then either match them individually, or use them to form partnerships for further activities by putting them in a hat and having students draw a card from the bag and finding their partner by matching a word and a meaning together.

2. Have students read out the matching pair to the whole group and explain what words helped them group them together. This can lead to a good discussion and perhaps the learning of some new terminology.

3. Display worksheet one to verify partnerships and support the discussion.

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Activity Two: In the Past Requirements:

Factsheet 1 – How long does it take to decompose? – (Page 17)

Internet access for researching websites

Worksheet 2 - T-charts – (Page 11)

Images 1 & 2 – The past for us is the present for some – (Pages 21 & 22) STEPS

1. Discuss with students about ‘Rubbish Tips’. Explain that most Councils provided ‘Rubbish

Tips’ where they dug huge holes in the ground and fenced off for people to dump their rubbish. Explain that these were unmanned, so people could dump anything. Occasionally the Council would come and either burn or bury the rubbish. These have now been replaced with Landfills (which are much better managed and monitored to minimize pollution to the surrounding ground, water and air) and ‘transfer stations’ which are primarily resource recovery centres. These are manned and there is more control around what is ‘dumped’ in them. Explain the difference between ‘Rubbish Tips’, ‘Landfills’ and ‘Transfer Stations’.

2. Explain how long it takes this ‘rubbish’ to ‘decompose’ (if at all). The fact sheet on page 17 will assist with this.

3. Explain about Leachates – Explore this website – it will help you understand http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/problem-landfill

4. Have the students explore more about greenhouse gases produced by waste in landfills. The following websites provide some good starting points.

http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/globalwarming.html

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/global_warming_and_climate_change/science/australia_greenhouse_gases/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Waste%20emissions%20(6.6.6)

Example: Until 1994 there were 4 rubbish tips in the Indigo Shire – Rutherglen, Chiltern, Beechworth & Yackandandah. Now there are two ‘Transfer Stations’ (Rutherglen & Beechworth). These have more control – sorting, separating, recycling.

Leachate is the liquid formed when waste breaks down in the landfill and water filters through that waste. This liquid is highly toxic and can pollute the land, ground water and waterways. Many materials that end up as waste contain toxic substances. Over time, these toxins leach into our soil and groundwater, and become environmental hazards for years. Electronic waste is a good example. Waste such as televisions, computers and other electronic appliances contain a long list of hazardous substances, including mercury, arsenic, cadmium, PVC, solvents, acids and lead.

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5. As a class, or in small groups, use the T-chart (worksheet 2) to identify the pros and cons of

‘rubbish tips’. Pros – Think about what would have happened if there had been no landfills or tips

Cons – Think about the effects of dumping different types of rubbish

6. Follow this up with a group discussion. Some possible questions could include:

If you didn’t have bins what would you do?

What did you grandparents do?

What are some of the other contributing factors about the past that need to be considered?

Why wasn’t waste such an issue in the past? (Less packaging and plastics)

What can we learn from the past?

7. Sometimes it is important to understand that the past for us, might be the present for some people. It is important to understand that not all countries have well developed methods for dealing with their waste. Use the images on pages 21 & 22 to discuss possible effects of lack of waste management strategies.

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Activity Three: Present Day Resource Recovery Practices in Your Local Area

Requirements:

Internet access for researching websites

Worksheet 3 – Where does your rubbish go to? - (Page 12) STEPS

1. Have students discuss what they do with their waste at home.

2. Talk to them about what happens at school.

3. Log on to your council’s website and

download a copy of your waste collection calendar or click here to download one of Wangaratta’s collection timetable: http://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/services/waste-services/which-bin/pdfs/WasteZone18.pdf Work out when you need to put each bin out. Also use your council’s website to see what you can and can’t put into each bin and what other materials can be recycled in your area.

4. NOTE TAKING: Watch the videos (Produced by North East Waste & Resource Recovery Group) – see page 12 for links - to see what happens with the waste you put in each of your bins. Take some notes to answer the specific questions for each one. It is suggested that you may like to use the ‘jigsaw strategy’ for this activity:

Split your class into three groups (red, yellow and green).

Allocate one of the questions to each person or pair within a group to be responsible for.

Each group then watches their own video – (waste (red), recycling (yellow) or organics (green).

It is recommended they watch their video three times: The first time to see the whole story; the second time to concentrate on their own question; and the third time to check their information.

The group then shares their learning with their group and then with the other groups either through an oral or a poster presentation.

This can be followed up with showing each video to the whole class.

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Activity Four: Rescuing Rubbish

Requirements:

Everyday items such as a t-shirt, battery, banana, printer cartridge, milk bottle, soft-drink bottle, plastic wrap, newspaper, plastic bag, polystyrene, shoes, aluminium can etc. (Bring enough for one item for each student)

A small demonstration red-lidded bin

Fact Sheet 2 – Recycling Computer Components (Page 18)

Worksheet 4 – Altering the Pathway of Waste (Page13)

Internet access for further research

STEPS

1. Have all the everyday items (listed above) in the red-lidded bin.

2. Students work in pairs and select an item of waste from the red bin.

3. As an example of this activity, use the computer story below, along with Fact Sheet 2 – you

may like to give each student a component of this computer (using the cards from Fact Sheet 2)

4. Students then use the cards and labels from worksheet 4 to help tell or act the story of the

pathway for their item

5. They then try to ‘rescue’ the item by attempting to alter the pathway of the product so it does not end up in landfill

6. They then re-tell (or act out) their story of the rescued rubbish. They may wish to use the

cards from Activity 2 to help with this. Each story should have at least 5 parts. They should try to use as many RE words as they can during their story telling.

7. Do some further research on the journey of your rescued item. Find out what it can be used for in its second life.

Example: Computer – E-waste:

“I RESCUED this computer and TV from the waste bin. They took up a lot of space and would certainly not decompose. The space needed in the landfill would be quite large and it really did seem like a big waste. I found a friend who was happy to REUSE the TV. The Salvos didn’t want the electrical things because they have to test and tag all electronic equipment and that costs money, so I took the rest to the transfer station. They put it in the e-waste section. The man there explained that 99% of the computer parts can be RECYCLED and that putting it in landfill is really bad, not only because of the space it takes up but also because of the harmful toxins is contains, like lead. I didn’t like paying a fee to dump it, but the man explained that most of the computer had to be disassembled by hand. He gave me some links to look at to see what happens to the computers through the e-waste program. (See below). Now I understand and I don’t mind paying a fee to make sure the right thing happens…”

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8. What else do you know of that can be recycled? - Where can you do this? - How can you find out about what can be recycled in your area?

Call the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712 or Search for recycling options for each product at www.recyclingnearyou.com.au

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Activity Five: Working towards creating a better world

Requirements: Worksheet 5 – Project Planner (page 16)

Access to internet

STEPS

1. Engage students in a class discussion posing the question: “What happens once we run out of

ground to bury our rubbish - what will we do?

o Play in rubbish heaps?

o Dump it in the sea?

o Send it out in space?

o Send it in rockets to other planets?

2. Go to http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html to demonstrate

already existing ‘space junk’

3. Have students begin thinking about what they can do

right now.

4. Conduct a waste audit (contact Halve Waste or North

East Waste & Resource Recovery Group( NEWRRG) or go

to the Cool Australia website)

5. Celebrate 3 actions where you think your school has

done really well

6. Select one action where you think your school could

make some changes – use the project planner

(Worksheet 4) to plan, action and report on it

7. So why does it matter? - Have students create and present something which demonstrates how

they have made a positive impact on their environment – and shows that they can make a

difference.

More than 500,000 pieces of debris, or “space junk,” are tracked as they orbit

the Earth. They all travel at speeds up to 17,500 mph, fast enough for a

relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.

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Waste

Any product or substance that has no further use for the person or organisation that generated it, and which is, or will be, discarded. They may be solid, liquid or gaseous and can be hazardous or non-hazardous.

Diversion

The act of diverting a waste away from landfill for another purpose such as re-use or recycling.

Landfill

Land where waste is dumped and later buried. Also referred to as rubbish tip or dump

Leachate

Liquid that has percolated through solid waste or other solids and has extracted materials from it by leaching

Mt CO2-e

Millions of tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) gases

Recycling

A resource recovery method involving the collection and processing of waste for use as a raw material in the manufacture of the same or similar non-waste products.

Reuse

Recovering value from a discarded item without reprocessing or re-manufacture. Typically this will involve an item being reused in its original function or similar. It does not preclude relatively minor pre-treatments like washing, reconditioning or painting.

Worksheet 1: WASTE GLOSSARY

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PROS Think about what would have happened if there had been no rubbish tips

CONS Think about the effects of dumping different types of rubbish

WORKSHEET 2 - T-CHARTS Source(with permission): Anania, L. ( 2008) “The Thinking Toolbox ”, TMELA Education, Australia

TITLE: THE PROS AND CONS OF RUBBISH TIPS

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Worksheet 3: Where does your rubbish go to? Print, laminate and cut these up

WASTE – RED LID

RECYCLING – YELLOW

LID

ORGANICS – GREEN LID

1. How much waste is produced per week in Victoria?

1. How much do Victorians recycle each year?

1. On average, how much do people throw away in food waste each year?

2. Where does your garbage go?

2. Where does your recycled materials go?

2. Where do the contents of your organics bin go?

3. What happens to your garbage after kerbside collection?

3. What sorts of things are recycled through the yellow lided bins?

3. What sorts of things go in your red lidded bin?

4. Why does garbage smell?

4. List 4 things the New Life of a recycled product save.

4. What part of the composting job is done by hand?

5. How do landfills try to keep the harmful gases out of the atmosphere?

5. What is contamination and how do they get rid of it?

5. What are some of the problems caused by including organics in the waste bin?

6. What can you do to help?

6. Explain the ‘new life’ of one of the recycled products.

6. What are some examples of how the end products are used?

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Worksheet 4: Altering the pathway of Waste Print, laminate and cut up these pictures to help students tell their rescuing rubbish stories.

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Activity Five: The Future

WORKSHEET 5: PROJECT PLANNER Source(with permission): Anania, L. ( 2009) “The Thinking Toolbox 2”, TMELA Education, Australia

Name:

STEP 1

STEP 2

MY PROJECT

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

STEP 6

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Fact Sheet 1: How long does it take to decompose?

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Fact Sheet 2: Recycling Computer Components Source: http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/e-waste/what-can-be-recycled-from-e-waste

The Computer 99% can be recycled

Monitor Case and base: 98% plastic 2% ferrous metal (screws, etc)

Degaussing wire: 95% copper wire 5% PVC plastic tape

Monitor yoke:

75% copper

10% ferrous metal

15% plastic* *(Could be recycled, but plastic particles are too small after refining process)

What can be recycled from e-waste? Source: http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/e-waste/what-can-be-recycled-from-e-waste

Much of what's used to make computers can be recycled, yet more than 1.5 million are dumped in Australian

landfill each year. Their re-usable materials include ferrous (iron-based) and non-ferrous metals, glass and

various types of plastic.

So exactly what can be recycled from a computer? Almost 99% of the components that make up a PC can

be recycled. By recycling we can avoid serious toxins, chemicals and heavy metals from going to landfill and

polluting our environment.

Find an e-waste collection near you.

Read our e-waste fact sheet.

of what's used to make computers can be recycled, yet more than 1.5 million are dumped in Australian

landfill each year. Their re-usable materials include ferrous (iron-based) and non-ferrous metals, glass and

various types of plastic.

So exactly what can be recycled from a computer? Almost 99% of the components that make up a PC can

be recycled. By recycling we can avoid serious toxins, chemicals and heavy metals from going to landfill and

polluting our environment.

Find an e-waste collection near you.

Read our e-waste fact sheet.

Much of what's used to make computers can be recycled, yet more than 1.5 million are dumped in Australian

landfill each year. Their re-usable materials include ferrous (iron-based) and non-ferrous metals, glass and

various types of plastic.

So exactly what can be recycled from a computer? Almost 99% of the components that make up a PC can

be recycled. By recycling we can avoid serious toxins, chemicals and heavy metals from going to landfill and

polluting our environment.

Find an e-waste collection near you.

Read our e-waste fact sheet.

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CRT Tube Monitor: 95% glass 2% ferrous metal (screws, etc)

Flatscreen monitor Glass, plastic, metals

Computer case: 90% steel 10% ABS or resin plastic (this varies from model to model)

Floppy drives: 95% metal (ferrous and non-ferrous) 5% circuit board

Mouse: 90% plastic 5% circuit board 5% cable (can be recovered)

Cables: 90% PVC plastic 5% copper 5% steel

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CD ROM case: 50% ferrous metal 50% plastic resin

Keyboard: 99% plastic resin with PVC and copper cabling

Hard drives: 80% aluminium 15% steel 5% circuit board

Heat sink: 95% aluminium 4% polypropylene plastic (fan) 1% mixed metal

Power supply unit: 85% steel case 15% printed circuit board

Various screws: 100% ferrous metal

Mother Boards/ Expansion Cards (See Circuit board)

Monitor circuit board: 90% fibreglass or plastic 5% non-ferrous metals 5% other recyclable materials (diodes, etc)

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Image 1: The past for us is the present for some It is important to understand that not all countries have developed good methods for dealing with their waste. Use these two images to discuss the possible implications to the community and to the environment.

Photo: Google Images

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Image 2: The past for us is the present for some

Photo: Linda Anania, India, 2015

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Useful Links:

SEED

Halve Waste

Indigo Shire Council

Ecobin

KABV

Eco Schools

Cool Australia

Vasili’s Garden – Green organics recycling & composting (DVD) MWMG / SV 2008

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AusVELS Alignment: This activity supports the cross-curriculum priority of SUSTAINABILITY, reflecting the organising idea of FUTURES:

(01.6) The sustainability of ecological, social and economic systems is achieved through informed individual and community action that values local and global equity and fairness across generations into the future; (O1:7) Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments; (OI.8) Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment of scientific and technological developments, and balanced judgments based on projected future economic, social and environmental impacts; (OI.9) Sustainable futures result from actions designed to preserve and/or restore the quality and uniqueness of environments.

This activity can assist with learning in the following areas:

Domains & Dimensions Activity

INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 1 2 3 4 5

Communication – Listening Viewing and Responding X X X X X

Communication - Presenting X X X

Information and Communications Technology – Visualizing Thinking X

Information and Communications Technology - Creating X

Information and Communications Technology - Communicating X X X

Thinking Processes –Reasoning, Processing and Inquiry X X X

Thinking Processes - Creativity X X

Thinking Processes - Reflection, analysis and metacognition X X X

PHYSICAL PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 1 2 3 4 5

Civics and Citizenship – Civic Knowledge and Understanding X X X X

Civics and Citizenship – Community Engagement X X

Interpersonal Development – Building Social Relationships X X X X

Interpersonal Development – Working in Teams X X X X

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DISCIPLINARY LEARNING 1 2 3 4 5

Science: Science Understanding – Chemical Sciences X X

English: Literature – Responding to Literature X X X X

English: Literature – Creating Literature X

English: Literacy – Interpreting, analysing and evaluating X X X X

English: Literacy – Creating Texts

The Arts – Creating and Making X